Overhead door latch



Dec. 28, 1965 R. D. LOMAZ OVERHEAD DOOR LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed. Dec. 19, 1962 INVENTOR. RALPH D- LOMAZ BY wim ATTOQNEf Dec. 28, 1965 R. D. LOMAZ 3,226,144

OVERHEAD DOOR LATCH Original Filed Dec. 19. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.6

INVENTOR QALPI-l D LOMAZ ATTOENEV.

United States Patent M 3,226,144 OVERHEAD DOOR LATCH Ralph D. Lornaz, South Euclid, Ohio, assignor to The Pacific Coast Company, Bedford, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application Dec. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 245,890, now Patent No. 3,176,757, dated Apr. 6, 1965. Divided and this application Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 331,859 2 Claims. (Cl. 292-113) This application is a division of Serial No. 245,890 filed December 19, 1965 now Patent No. 3,176,757.

This invention relates to devices for preventing the unauthorized entry of persons into buildings, and more particularly to latches to be used with locks on overhead doors employed in garage buildings and the like.

Those skilled in the art will already recognize that an extremely large number of overhead garage door latches would be of practical value if such doors were precision made and precision hung. For example, hasps or bolts or many other devices would be used. However, as a practical matter, most all garage doors are not precision doors because it is uneconomical to make and install such doors. For this reason most all conventional door latches are unsuitable for use on such overhead doors, because a door may close at a somewhat different position each time.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an overhead door latch that does not require precision alignment between its co-operating locking elements.

Another object is to provide a latch of the type stated, that requires only three simple sheet metal stampings in its construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch for an overhead garage door which may be easily operated from both the inside and outside of the garage.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference numerals and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the inner side of an overhead door of the type described in my co-pending application Serial No. 245,890 now Patent No. 3,176,757, showing it in its closed position, with the latch of the present invention installed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a view, partly in section of the overhead door latch assembly, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the same;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the latch plate;

FIGURE 6 is an inside view of a portion of the door, showing the latch and its associated releasing mechanism mounted thereon; and,

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 7-7 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is seen in FIGURES l and 2 a rolling, overhead garage door 20, having the locking latch 70, that is the subject of this invention, mounted thereon, in closed and locked position.

The door 20, illustrated, is the type described in my co-pending application Serial No. 245,890 now Patent No. 3,176,757, filed December 19, 1962, although it is to be understood that my latch construction is not limited to use with said door, but may be used with any vertically moving door.

The door 20 is mounted in rolling engagement with a pair of tracks 21 and 22 positioned on the inner sides of the jambs 28 of a door opening frame 23.

3,226,144 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 The edges of the tracks 21 and 22 are curved inwardly toward each other, to form a retaining and guiding channel for the door roller assemblies 50.

The door 20 is connected in the usual manner to counter-balancing springs or weights, not shown, through suspension cables 24 which travel over pulleys 25.

The tracks 21 and 22 have straight, vertical sections inclined at an angle away from the door jambs 28 and are curved rearwardly at their upper ends into horizontal sections 27, extending away from the door opening 23, upon which the door 20 rests when in its open position, not illustrated.

The door 20 comprises 4 articulated panel sections 30, joined through hinges 44, which together define a closure which extends across the building opening 23, as seen in FIGURE 2.

It is to be understood that the length, width, and number of panels 30 is dependent upon the size of the door opening 23, but with the average size opening used in garages adapted to hold conventional passenger automobiles, the four-paneled door 20, illustrated, is adequate.

Reference numeral 90 indicates a resilient rubber weather-strip which is mounted the length of the bottom edge of the door 20, by means of screws 89, as most clearly seen in FIGURE 7, for a purpose to be hereinafter disclosed.

The weather-strip 90 is semi-rigid so that it normally supports the weight of the door about /2" above the door sill, when closed, but can be forcibly flattened, by pushing down on the door handle 86, to permit the door to move downward another A".

The closed door 20, as seen in FIGURE 1, is locked in place by means of a latch, broadly indicated by reference numeral 70, mounted on the top rail 37 of top door panel 30, as is seen most clearly in FIGURE 3.

The latch 70 comprises three metal stampings identified by reference numerals 71, 72 and 77.

A mounting bracket 71, having a vertical arm 92, is mounted on the top rail 37 of the assembled door by means of screws 87.

A latch plate 72 is pivotally mounted on the arm 92 by means of a bolt 73 which passes through a pivot bore 82 in the plate 72.

The latch plate comprises a flat, sheet metal stamping and has a tooth 74, a square hole 84, spaced from the pivot bore 82 for a purpose to be disclosed hereinafter, and a rocker arm portion 75 on the side of the plate 72 opposite the toothed portion 74, so that the arm 75 and tooth 74 travel in opposite directions when the plate 72 is rocked on the pivot bolt 73.

Reference numeral 77 indicates a U latch catch mounted on the building door opening frame 23, immediately above the latch plate tooth 74 with its bottom edge 78 positioned immediately ahead of the tooth 74, when the door is in its closed position, as seen in FIGURE 3. The catch 77 has a smooth, vertically extending front face 94 across which the back of the latch plate tooth 74 is free to travel.

The catch is mounted in position by a wood screw 79, which passes through an elongated slot 80. Before the screw is drawn up tight, the catch may be adjusted vertically of the slot 80 to seat its lower edge 78 against the latch plate 72 with the tooth 74 hooked behind the catch plates vertical front wall 94, as seen most clearly in FIGURE 3.

A double-headed nail 81 is then driven through a second hole in the catch 77, spaced from the screw 79, to keep the catch from tilting out of its vertical plane as the screw 79 is tightened to anchor the catch 77 in place.

Reference numeral 93 indicates a conventional key operated lock, mounted on the inside of the door, on one of the panel center ribs 40, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 6.

The lock 93 has a square operating shaft 85 with a 3 handle 86 mounted on the outer end thereof, as seen in FIGURE 2.

A second latch plate 72 is mounted on the inside end of the shaft 85, which is fitted through the square opening of the second plate 72.

The rocker arm 75 of the so-mounted second latch plate extends laterally of the shaft 85 and is in approximate alignment with the rocker arm 75 of the first latch plate, as seen in FIGURE 6.

An operating cable 83 connects the ends of the two latch plate arms 75 of the latch 70 and the handle shaft 85.

A spring 88, wedged between the toothed end 74 of the plate 72 and the base of the bracket 71, as seen in FIG- URE 3, acts to constantly bias the tooth 74 inwardly of the vertical wall edge 78 of the catch 77.

Thus, when the door is dropped to its closed position, the latch plate tooth 74, being normally biased by the spring 88 toward the position illustrated in FIGURE 3, will strike the upper edge of the catch 77 and be tilted backward, on the pivot bolt 73, to ride across the face 94 of the catch 77.

When the downward movement of the latch plate 72 carries the tooth 74 below the lower edge 78 of the catch 77, the spring 88 will automatically tilt the plate forward to move the tooth 74 to a position below and behind the edge 78.

Any upward movement of the door 20 will then be blocked by the abutment of the tooth 74 against the catch edge 78.

To open the door 20, the handle 86 is grasped and the whole door is pushed downward about A", which is effected by forcibly compressing the weather strip 90. This will move the tooth below the edge 78 of the catch '77.

The handle 86 is then rotated to tilt the plate 72 mounted on the shaft 85, downward, which in turn causes the latch plate 72, mounted on bracket 71, through the cable 83, to be tilted backward to a second position which places the tooth 74 outwardly of, and spaced from the catch 77.

The downward pressure on the door 20 is then released and the natural expansion of the weather strip 90 then raises the door back up A", which is enough for the latch tooth 74 to come to rest on the outer face 94 of the catch 77, when the handle 86 is released.

The door 20 is then free to be rolled upward on the tracks 21 and 22 to uncover the framed opening 23.

It will be noted that the spring 88 normally acts to tilt the toot-h 74 to its forward position, so that as long as the handle 86 is held against rotation by the lock mechanism 93, downward pressure alone against the door 20 will not permit it to be opened by unauthorized persons.

While the resilient member 90 on the bottom of the door 20 has been described as being a concave weather-strip, it should be understood that any suitable structure having the required compressible characteristics, so that the door can be forcibly moved downward between first and second closed positions, may be employed.

It will now be clear that there is provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment there-of, as described and illustrated herein, is not to be considered in a limited :sense as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a rolling overhead door of the type having a plurality of articulated panel sections mounted on a guide track inclined relative to the frame of the door opening of a building, a latch, comprising, a compressible member mounted on the lower edge of the bottom panel section of the door and normally acting to maintain the door in a first, closed position, said compressible member being compressible in response to down- Ward pressure to permit the door to move downward to a second, closed position; a bracket member mounted on the top of the door, a latch pl-ate member, having a tooth portion, pivotally mounted on the bracket and free to tilt in a backward and forward direction relative to the door opening frame; a latch catch member mounted on the door opening frame in the vertical travel path of the latch plate tooth when the plate is tilted forward, the latch plate being tilt-able between a first, extended, position, wherein its toothed portion is in the plane of the catch, and a second, retracted position, wherein its toothed portion is clear of the plane of the catch; a rotatable handle mounted on the door face, connected to the latch plate through linkage means, for manually tilting the latch plate to its second position; and a spring mounted between the bracket and latch plate for normally biasing the latch plate to its first position; the latch plate tooth being in its first position, abutting the bottom edge of the catch when the door is in its first closed position, and prevented from being moved to its second position by the catch, whereby the door is prevented from rising; the latch plate tooth being spaced downwardly of the latch catch when the door is in its second closed position, wherein the latch plate tooth is free to be manually tilted against the biasing action of the spring to its second position, clear of the latch catch, in which position it is -free to travel upwardly of the catch to permit the door to be raised.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said compressible member comprises a semi-rigid weather-strip, deformable in a vertical plane, and extending the length of the lower edge of the bottom panel section of the door.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED'STATES PATENTS 2,857,192 10/1958 Peterson 292-223 3,034,575 5/1962 StrOup -40 3,088,623 5/1963 Parker 292-113 JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A ROLLING OVERHEAD DOOR OF THE TYPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ARTICULATED PANEL SECTIONS MOUNTED ON A GUIDE TRACK INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE FRAME OF THE DOOR OPENING OF A BULLDING, A LATCH, COMPRISING, A COMPRESSIBLE MEMIBER MOUNTED ON THE LOWER EDGE OF THE BOTTIM PANEL SECTION OF THE DOOR AND NORMALLY ACTING TO MAINTAIN THE DOOR IN A FIRST, CLOSED POSITION, SAID COMPRESSIBLE MEMBER BEING COMPRESSIBLE IN RESPONSE TO DOWNWARD PRESSURE TO PERMIT THE DOOR TO MOVE DOWNWARD TO A SECOND, CLOSED POSITION; A BRACKET MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE DOOR, A LATCH PLATE MEMBER, HAVING A TOOTH PORTION, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE BRACKET AND FREE TO TILT IN A BACKWARD AND FORWARD DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE DOOR OPENING FRAME; A LATCH CATCH MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE DOOR OPENING FRAME IN THE VERTICAL TRAVEL PATH OF THE LATCH PLATE TOOTH WHEN THE PLATE IS TILTED FORWARD, THE LATCH PLATE BEING TITABLE BETWEEN A FIRST, EXTENDED, POSITION, WHEREIN ITS TOOTHED PORTION IS IN THE PLATE OF THE CATCH, AND A SECOND, RETRACTED POSITION, WHEREIN ITS TOOTHED PORTION IS CLEAR OF THE PLANTE OF THE CATCH; A ROTATABLE HANDLE MOUNTED ON THE COOR FACE, CONNECTED TO THE LATCH PLATE THROUGH LINKAGE MEANS, FOR MANUALLY TILTING THE LATCH PLATE TO ITS SECOND POSITION; AND A SPRING MOUNTED BETWEEN THE BRACKET AND LATCH PLATE FOR NORMALLY BIASING THE LATCH PLATE TO ITS FIRST POSITION; THE LATCH PLATE TOOTH BEING IN ITS FIRST POSITION, ABUTTING THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE CATCH WHEN THE DOOR IS IN ITS FIRST CLOSED POSITION, AND PREVENTED FROM BEING MOVED TO ITS SECOND POSITION BY THE CATCH, WHEREBY THE DOOR IS PREVENTED FROM RISING; THE LATCH PLATE TOOTH BEING SPACED DOWNWARDLY OF THE LATCH CATCH WHEN THE DOOR IS IN ITS SECOND CLOSED POSITION, WHERIEN THE LATCH PLATE TOOTH IS FREE TO BE MANUALLY TILTED AGAINST THE BIASING ACTION OF THE SPRING TO ITS SECOND POSITION, CLEAR OF THE LATCH CATCH, IN WHICH POSITION IT IS FREE TO TRAVEL UPWARDLY OF THE CATCH TO PERMIT THE DOOR TO BYE RAISED. 